The Grand Tour (Season 1) & The Not Very Grand Tour

 

The hosts of the "new" The Grand Tour have a nearly impossible task. They have to replace three very well liked and long term hosts of the original The Grand Tour and Top Gear. It is difficult enough to replace one host, but to find three who are not only liked individually but work well together is a massive challenge. It's similar to replacing members of the Beetles. You can't just replace John and Paul and except there to be no hiccups and for no one to notice. Yet, here we are, with Jeremy, James, and Richard not getting any younger and calling it a career on the best TV show ever made, we find ourselves in this situation of needing new hosts to carry on. I really thought once the original trio retired that Amazon would retire the show. The BBC tried to carry on with Top Gear after the trio left, and did so for a few years before shutting the show down in 2023 (though apparently it has been announced that the show is returning in the future). Instead of shutting down the show, however, Amazon found three new hosts to carry on. I would've quit watching the show at this point, but I came across a couple of decent reviews so I decided to give it a chance and watched the first season.

I had never heard of any of the new hosts. Not that this matters, I suppose, because I had not heard of any of the original trio members either until I started watching Top Gear. James and Thomas are Canadian motoring journalist, popular for a YouTube channel they run called Throttle House. Francis is a social media personality & train enthusiast, popular for his trainspotting videos of all things. The season features brief appearances from the original trio, including a scene where Jeremy tells them to "Have fun. And don't f*ck this up." which is both funny and such a Jeremy thing to say. Generally, other than these appearances, the show moves forward trying to stand on its own two feet and not rely too heavily on its past.

The reviews I read said the new season was "decent" and I'd give it the same review. Overall the show is the same, following the same format as before. I generally liked the new hosts, and applaud them for being themselves and not trying too hard to emulate the original trio. At times they were a little too kind, I thought, both to each other and regarding the results of their cars/tests. This was especially true for James and Thomas. Francis was easily the most risky pick as a new host, and I think the risk paid off. He was easily the most unpredictable regarding what car he picked and how he approached the challenges, and brought a ton of knowledge to the show for someone famous for watching trains. Though a bit awkward at times, his presence spiced things up a bit compared to the much safer picks of Thomas and James. Overall, I think that the new hosts established a good foundation for what the new version of the show will look like, and this new trio should continue to gel in subsequent seasons. I'll plan on watching season 2, as long as I have access to Amazon Prime. In the meantime, I'm wrapping up the three episode The Not Very Grand Tour where the original trio do a last hurrah in the nursing home, highlighting scenes from previous The Grand Tour episodes. 

Kyle Larson vs The Double

 

I've been to the Indy 500 probably 20 times, maybe more. It is an absolute exhausting day as a fan. The race may run from noon until 3, but the day typically starts around 6 AM and doesn't usually finish until 6 PM, sometimes later. Fighting through the crowds to get to the track, during the race, and getting home is exhausting. Throw in the emotional ups and downs from the race itself, and I nearly need two days to recover. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to be a driver in the race. To expand on that, think about what Kyle Larson did - twice. He began the day in Indianapolis for the Indy 500, ran the race, then flew to Charlotte, NC to participate in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. The first year he attempted this, the Indy 500 was massively delayed by rain, and by the time he reached Charlotte the same storm from Indy had also reached Charlotte, preventing him from racing in NASCAR's night race. The second year he attempted this feat, he crashed in the Indy 500. Thus, he didn't complete all 1,100 miles in any attempt. Regardless, to even attempt "The Double" is a feat in itself that only a handful of other drivers have tried.

In addition to the logistical and emotional and physical challenges of "The Double", this documentary highlighted Kyle as both a racer and a person. I admittedly don't watch much NASCAR. But I know that Kyle is a great driver, and I've always been fascinated by how much dirt track racing he still does while competing at the highest level of stock car racing. I have definitely become a Larson fan after watching this documentary and after his attempts at "The Double". I think it takes a ton of courage to strap yourself into an Indycar and race at IMS at those speeds, especially when open-wheeled racing isn't your background. He's a true racer, and he has become my favorite NASCAR driver because of these efforts.

Clarkson's Farm (Season 5)

 

Season 5 of Clarkson's Farm begins with Jeremy in the hospital and ends with Jeremy in the hospital. He had a cardiac event initially, and then was subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Here's to hoping that he is OK. Otherwise, the dust has settled from the events surrounding the opening of his pub in season 4. With that being said, we're back to focusing on farming on season 5. Jeremy has taken an interest in advancing the technology on his farm, which has him and Kaleb taking a trip to Holland to discuss new equipment. He ends up selling one of his older Lambo tractors, and purchases an automated tractor and planter, both of which are super cool. Kaleb also buys his own combine to help with harvest. Otherwise, it's the same fun and foolery that you'd expect on Clarkson's Farm in season 5.